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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. spell — magic
  5. game — a match
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. bass — low music
  8. stem — to come from
  9. firm — a company
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. spell — a short time
  12. current — electric
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bass — the fish
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. spell — letters
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. game — wild animals
  22. current — of water
  23. current — happening now
  24. game — a kind of play

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com